Concert in Vermont
Concert Photos © by Thomas Krill.
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Buffy Sainte-Marie In Concert
South Burlington, VT
May 7, 2005
by Thomas KrillWhat’s it like to attend a live performance by Buffy Sainte-Marie? Stirring.
Buffy performed to a crowd of about 250 guests on May 7, 2005 at Higher Ground in South Burlington, Vermont. While the size of the crowd was, to some, a disappointment (this legendary performer could have drawn a larger audience with wider publication of her appearance), I found the audience to be just the right size. The venue offered a personal, intimate experience and a memory to last a lifetime.
Looking radiant in an off-the-shoulder turquoise gown, Buffy captivated her audience with a balanced selection of her work, from the familiar (Piney Wood Hills, Until It’s Time For You To Go, Up Where We Belong, Universal Soldier) to the unfamiliar (3 or 4 newer, unrecorded compositions, already having the strength to become durable classics). A pleasant surprise came when Buffy performed Cripple Creek to the singular accompaniment of her mouthbow, a performance so magnificent that the audience rose to its feet to applaud the extraordinary ways that Buffy can make music from the not-so-commonplace.
This concert featured many of the works appearing on the 1992 recording, Coincidence And Likely Stories. Buffy performed The Big Ones Get Away, Fallen Angels, The Priests Of The Golden Bull, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, Starwalker and Goodnight. More than a song and a voice with instrumentation, Buffy’s performance was explanatory and interactive – we learned about the meaning of these compositions and came to better understand the stories behind the lyrics, the message behind the music. For all of the musical energy in this body of work, it is the lyrics that make us stop cold and examine our own contribution to humanitarianism. Buffy holds this out to us, like a firefly captured in cupped hands – so beautiful and mysterious that we look at it with awe and interpret it first with our hearts, then with our minds.
The concert contained a full 90 minutes of music and dialog – no intermission, no stopping to catch a breath. This is the mark of an experienced artist with the stamina and energy to deliver pure, uninterrupted performance. The audience was immersed in the moment, taking in every note, hanging on every word, overwhelmed by this rare opportunity to connect with the timeless appeal of Buffy Sainte-Marie.
After the concert, Buffy graciously agreed to meet with her audience and to interact with them one-on-one. I was touched by observing many careworn record album jackets being presented to the performer for an autograph. I presented my favorite (Sweet America) as well, and Buffy supplied a personalized message and signature. We had the chance for a photograph with Buffy, and cameras snapped on and on to capture this magic moment in time.
I am not Native American and I don’t pretend to fully understand the experience of indigenous people. I think Buffy’s words and music have a meaning so special to Native Americans that I can never fully know the joy of experiencing her work from that perspective. What I do know is that Buffy has softened my whiteness and enhanced my awareness of the importance of preserving the richness of Native American culture. Reservation means more than holding back or securing accommodations for dinner.
Just imagine, all of that and the opportunity to come to better know and appreciate the words and music of this gifted woman who makes the world a better place for us all to live. I will never forget this concert and my chance, for a moment, to be sprinkled with stardust.